What is Sublimation?

Overview

The design is first printed onto special paper. Then, the garment is laid flat between 2 sheets and put under a mechanical heat press. This process causes the ink to be absorbed into the material, creating a long-lasting design that won’t easily fade or crack.

Materials

100% polyester shirts work best for sublimation printing. T-shirts always start out white, with the printable area covering the whole of the flat T-shirt.

Pros & Cons

The key benefit of sublimation printing is that there are very few creative limitations. You can have any design or colour you want without the need for expensive bulk orders or unstitching.

The drawback is that white streaks or creases can still be visible after printing - particularly in the seams and under the arms. The best way to minimise this effect is to avoid dark background colours in your design.